I jolted awake as a searing pain surged through my entire body.

  'Damn it! I let my guard down!'

  The impact had rendered me unconscious for a brief moment, but the excruciating pain quickly pulled me back to reality. Pain was still pain—and nothing in my human life had ever come close to this level of agony.

  Despite the torment coursing through me, I was grateful to be alive. My dragon physique, far stronger and more resilient than that of a human, had kept me from succumbing to the blow.

  The same, however, could be said for my opponent. It cked raw strength to attack or speed to move like a beast, but its body was an impenetrable fortress, built for endurance rather than agility.

  "Using your hardened body as a weapon—how clever," I thought.

  Thud!

  I dropped from the tree where I had been hanging. The moment my feet hit the ground, a sharp wave of pain shot through my entire body. I clenched my teeth and endured it—there were more pressing matters at hand.

  "It's clear now—these guys aren't just strong, they're experienced. Their coordination in battle is impressive," I muttered, genuinely impressed.

  Dragons may be proud and arrogant, but they also possess the mindset of warriors—acknowledging those they deem worthy. As the strongest beings, this superiority often dulls their perception, making them more biased. After all, only a handful of individuals exist who can truly challenge them.

  As, their primal instincts, having found a worthy opponent, only fueled their fighting spirit even more.

  THUD! THUD! THUD!

  A deep rumbling echoed through the surroundings as a silhouette emerged in the distance. With each step, the earth trembled, and thick steam billowed from its nostrils like a geyser. Its speed was staggering—far beyond anything I had ever seen from a boar.

  "They're using the same tactic again… but I won’t fall for it a third time," I muttered, steeling myself.

  The mother boar came into view, toppling trees in its path as it charged forward like a bullet train. But this time, I was ready.

  My body, however, was in a dire state. My wings were broken, rendering me unable to take to the skies. Bruises and deep wounds covered me, blood seeping from the gashes. Chipped and torn scales littered my entire form.

  In this condition, I was already as good as defeated—perhaps even dead. My battered body hindered my movements, my wings were useless, and my razor-sharp cws proved ineffective against their near-impenetrable hide. With all my means of attack rendered useless, my chances of victory had all but vanished.

  "But you might have forgotten... I am a dragon. And there's still one ability I haven't used this entire fight."

  If someone were asked about a dragon’s most powerful attack, they might immediately think of its razor-sharp teeth, capable of tearing through anything, or its deadly cws, honed to slice through even the toughest defenses. But dragons possess one more intrinsic ability—one that defines their true might.

  "Dragon’s Breath!" I roared, just like in those fantasy movies.

  The moment I unleashed the words, a surge of intense heat built up in my throat, searing as if fmes themselves coursed through me. Thick smoke billowed from my mouth, signaling the impending inferno about to be released.

  BWOOSH!

  A torrent of fmes erupted from my mouth, surging forward like a bzing beam. The inferno sliced through the air like a ser, rapidly closing in on its relentless target.

  BOOOOM!

  A deafening explosion shattered the silence. Trees were reduced to splinters, debris rained down, and the very ground trembled under the force of the bst. A thick cloud of smoke billowed into the air, engulfing the aftermath in a dense, swirling haze.

  After a few seconds, movement stirred within the thick smoke. Emerging from the haze, the mother boar continued its relentless charge, seemingly unfazed by my Dragon’s Breath.

  "Tch… it withstood that? How tough."

  Undeterred, the boar pressed forward without hesitation. Gritting my teeth, I prepared to unleash another bst.

  "If one attack isn’t enough to bring you down… then I’ll just have to rain fire upon you!" I decred with determination.

  The mother boar was still at a distance—after all, I had been sent flying by its partner earlier. Without a moment’s hesitation, I fired another Dragon’s Breath.

  I had to be mindful, though. My Dragon’s Breath had a four-second cooldown between attacks, as I needed time to gather my magical energy and unleash it again.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  A relentless barrage of explosions erupted, shaking the ground with each impact.

  BWOOSH!

  At st, a massive body colpsed with a heavy thud, unable to withstand my final attack. The mother boar slid forward, its momentum carrying it closer before finally coming to a stop not far from where I stood.

  FSSSH…

  Thick smoke escaped my mouth as I exhaled, my gaze fixed on the fallen beast. Its body was charred from the relentless fmes, with its head taking the worst of the damage. The scent of burnt meat filled the air, seeping into my senses.

  "Fwoo… One down," I murmured, triumphant.

  But then—I noticed it. The mother boar was still alive. Faint, ragged breaths escaped its body, and with each one, subtle movements accompanied it.

  "Hmm… you're still breathing even in that condition?!" I excimed in surprise.

  Their tenacity was remarkable. Perhaps it was this very endurance that allowed them to survive in such a dangerous forest. Witnessing this sheer will to live, I couldn’t help but acknowledge their resilience. Even at the brink of death, they clung to life, refusing to give in. It was a trait worthy of respect—even for a dragon like me.

  "Be proud," I said, my voice steady. "I have witnessed your fearlessness—your unwavering determination to protect your child and survive at any cost. As a promise, I will spare your offspring. Whether they survive or not… that will depend on their own will to endure, just like you."

  Every mother, regardless of species, wishes to protect their young. That was an undeniable truth of nature—though, of course, there were exceptions. Dragons, for instance, were abandoned from birth, left to fend for themselves the moment they awakened.

  Understanding the mother boar’s struggle, I offered these final words as reassurance before it departed from this world. Whether it truly heard and understood me, or if it was mere coincidence that it finally succumbed to its fate and rest for eternity.